Do ANY of you have any evidence that filter content has "degraded" in the years since these cars were new? Did anyone cut up an OM617 filter in 1976, 1985, 1992, and 2005? If so, was there any noticable difference in them? I found some NOS oil filters on eBay for MB diesels from the 60's, I posted a thread but nobody got them. Right then and there, an interested party would've been able to buy a pack of vintage filters, open em up, and compare contents to today's filters. Nobody bid, were they afraid the results would reveal that there is no problem? I don't know. You don't even know how long the media in the filter has been that way. For all you know, you've been using a filter filled with "crap" for over 30 years and hundreds of thousands of miles, and only now is it a problem. Choose whatever you want, but I'm just sayin'...

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I agree, but I HAVE noticed that in the more recent Hengst filters there is crap falling out of the little "slits" in the upper section of the canister that did not used to occur. 4 years ago I used primarily bosch and sometimes hengst, and they never had junk falling off them. Now there's flakes of debris falling off of them when taken out of the package. (only off the hengst ones) Perhaps the quality has gone down to save $$ (wouldn't be suprised)

Frams are heavier (quite a bit heavier metal) and the canister has circular holes rather than "slits" so there's likely better flow, and the material is spotless and debris free. They even come in a sealed plastic bag inside the box! (as do bosch ones) The only thing they lack is the copper drain plug washer for some reason, but those are 10 cents online....so I just bought a bunch. Thats the main reason I use them. I've never had junk fall off a bosch or OEM/dealer MB filter. Those would be my alternative should the Frams not be produced anymore. Hengst/Mann/Purolator seem to have the most issues. And, the bosch filters are only $8, the dealer ones are now $17!!!! Yeah right! Hengst, are $9...and of inferior quality.

Best choices:

1. Fram
2. Bosch
3. OEM/MB filters

The rest have too much junk in them/falling out of them.

Imagine if a pine needle or twig chunk made its way into a piston cooling oil jet/sprayer in the bottom end...that'd completely block the spray, and the piston would be starved of the necessary oil. Or into the turbo bearings....or the valvetrain lube jets.....

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I am sure any filter manufacture would be liable to replace engines if they were the cause of engine failure. Cause is the keyword. A pine needle preventing oil flow would in my humble opinion qualify as a cause.

Maybe there are counterfit filters running around? I have never seen anything come close to coming out of the filter holes.

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

My last order of 4 Hengst filters that I bought had junk falling out of the upper section slots in multiple places. I cleaned them off and used them anyways, but still, that should not be happening. It was small pieces of some sort of organic debris. Using Fram's and Bosch's now, so it won't be an issue anymore....

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

suppose your engine is clean, could one go without a filter perhaps? seems like that's less risk of ruining your engine... and if the engine, your oil, your funnel and your hands are clean, then all you have to worry about is soot. soot won't score your cylinders would it?
I'm taking my fram (bought a dozen when it was 1/2 price) out right now!

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/german.html

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2004 Infiniti G35 3.5L 6mt Coupe 73K miles 25.6mpg ytd
2001 Green Audi TT 225 AWD Roadster 71K 6sp 30.9mpg >>STOLEN<<
1982 300D Turbo 231K 120hp? 28.1mpg YTD

I didnt have the cash to buy them at the time If they popped up again i have the cash to get them and buy them up in a hurry. What would be the big deal of opening up 60's oem filters and finding the same crap we have in our filters today? Id just shut my mouth about the fram filter and buy up a bunch of hengst, mahle, and bosch filters like it was nuthin.

If they ever pop up again PM me and ill buy them.

But im still against buying the MANN filter because of the pine needles finding their way out of the filter and into the oil filter housing. That was a big no no on buying another mann filter.

__________________
Current:
05 E320 CDI
07 GL320 CDI
08 Sprinter
05 Dodge Cummins
01 Dodge Cummins

Previous
2004 E55 AMG
2002 C32 AMG (#2)
1995 E300
1978 300D
1987 300D
2002 C32 AMG(blown motor :[
1981 300SD
1983 300SD
1987 300SDL
2002 Jetta TDI
1996 S420
1995 S500
1993 190E 2.6
1992 190E 2.3
1985 190E 2.3 5-Speed

84 300D turbo
I only recently received my MB shop manual on CD but you thread got me to finally take a look at the oil system. If I am understanding it correctly the part of the oil from the oil pump is going through 2 parts of the filter at the same time. The part of the oil that is going to the engine bearings only goes through the filter paper element part of the filter at the bottom.
The other part of the oil goes through the upper part of the filter with the cotton waste inside of it and down the center of the return flow pipe (the long stem with the 2 small O rings at the bottom) and through a check valve from there back to the oil pan.
Even after the oil filter thermostat opens and the oil goes through the oil cooler the oil is filtered the same. Part goes to the upper portion with the cotton waste in it and returns to the oil pan and part goes through the paper filter element at the bottom the filter and into the engine.
If the filter is operating normally and there is also cotton waste inside of the paper element part of the filter there should be no chance of anything from the upper filter getting into you bearings.
If something did get out of the upper portion of the filter with the cotton waste it would have to travel down the return flow pipe (where I feel I would most likely be caught in the check valve) would go down into the oil pan. If it did get past the check valve it would go into the oil pan. Something heavy like sand, rock, metal and ect would likely stay in the bottom of the pan. I don’t think that bug parts would damage the oil pump. Plant parts; maybe but they would probably float to the top of the oil. The cotton would be what I believe could possibly jam up the oil pump.
If something completely blocked the check valve in the return flow pipe the engine bearings would still get their full supply of oil but the oil pressure would probably go up and might open the relief valve in the oil filter housing (3.5 bar on my vehicle).
Personally I do not understand why anyone would filter part of the oil and dump it back into pan. I do like the idea that the oil coming back from the oil cooler is filtered as if you got anything inside you oil cooler hoses when you change them it will be filtered out.

.........and junk would need to get past the oil pump screen.

The by-pass filter...from

http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/upload/bypass-oil-filters-fact-sheet.pdf

What is a By-Pass Oil Filter?
A by-pass oil filter is an added system designed to be
used with a full flow oil filter to remove more and finer
contaminant particles, such as dirt and metals, than the
full flow filter alone. It consists of an outer casing and
mounting bracket, a dense inner filter media, such as
cotton, and a flow rate regulator. Some by-pass filters
also include a heating element and time released additives.
By-pass filters are available in various sizes for use
in all kinds of vehicles from a passenger car to large
trucks and other equipment.

Why Use a By-Pass Oil Filter?
Lubricating oil is made from a limited natural
resource and used oil is by far one of the largest hazardous
waste streams generated in California. A fleet
maintenance facility can generate thousands of gallons
of used oil each year from routine engine maintenance.
You can reduce the amount of used oil you
generate by using by-pass oil filtration systems to
extend oil life in your fleet vehicles. The by-pass filtration
system allows you to reduce purchase and disposal
costs of oil while still maintaining optimal
operating conditions.
Internal combustion engines require that their lubricating
oil maintain proper viscosity and total base
number (TBN) in order to perform at peak efficiencies
or to perform at all. Through normal use, the
viscosity and TBN of the oil changes as the oil gets
contaminated with metal, soot, and water and the
additive package breaks down. Lubricating oil itself
does not wear out, so if the contaminants are
removed the oil can keep doing its job.

What Does A By-Pass Oil Filter Do?
It filters solid contaminants from the engine oil including
fine abrasive particles and soot as small as one
micron or less in some types. Most full flow filters alone
can only remove particles larger than thirty or forty
microns without overloading, and plugging up. Some
by-pass filters can help evaporate liquids, such as fuel,
coolant and water, which can reduce or eliminate oxidation
by-products known as gum and varnish.

How Does a By-Pass Oil Filter Work?
A small amount of oil from the main oil galley is directed
through the by-pass filter where the contaminants are
trapped in the filter medium. The cleaned oil is returned
to the oil sump. The oil flow rate through the filter is
low, three to eight gallons per hour, and is controlled by
a metering jet, orifice or check-ball.

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

From Hengst...

We supply this filter in this kind of manufacturing directly to the Daimler Company as we are the OEM for this part (OE-Number A 601 180 01 09).


Stating it is the same identical part as supplied to MB. I suggest it probable they get them from more than one source as an OE part.

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

My engine has over 280k on these types of filters.. I think it is doing just fine.. If you want to filter your oil to the max, just get a gulf coast filter or something.. that will catch any crud from the filters

Either the specific reports of defective products are lies or maybe your conjecture is not accurate. Are you saying that all of these people lied?

There is another thread open about someone looking to manufacture nozzles because they can't buy suitable replacements. Are you saying they are doing this for the fun of it?

Maybe your idealistic images of modern corporate industry are not exactly up to date. I think we already covered emotional responses.

Maybe if you stand on a soapbox less and get your hands dirty on these issues you will see another viewpoint.

Being adamant and being right are two different things.

The issue here is not only about parts in MB boxes.